Giant octopuses are real and well-studied animals. Their scientific classification is as follows: the type to which they belong is called Mollusks, class - Cephalopods, order - Octopuses. The family they belong to is Octopodidae, genus Enteroctopus, species giant octopus.
Such a comprehensive description. It can be added that scientists who study soft-bodied or molluscs are called malacologists.
Habitat
Giant octopuses love cold water, comfortable for them is heated from 5 to 12 degrees Celsius. It is natural to assume that this species of cephalopod does not occur in tropical seas. Their natural habitat is the northern waters of the Pacific Ocean. It extends from the Korean Peninsula and Japan to Primorye and southern Sakhalin. In addition, they are found near Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, Commander and Aleutian Islands. On the American coast they can be found all the way to California.
Main distinguishing feature
The most common species are giant octopuses weighing from 1 to 10 kilograms and large individuals up to 30 kg. This octopus reaches 150 cm in length. Less common, but they are registered, are specimens weighing up to 50 kg and measuring up to 3 meters. There is evidence of nine-meter creatures.
How do giant octopuses work? Their distinctive feature is the funnel organ (it is inherent in all octopuses), which in this species has W shape. This organ promotes the exchange of water in the gills, and it is also the motor apparatus of the octopus. How does movement happen? The cephalopod draws water into the mantle and compresses its muscles, as a result of which the water is forcefully pushed through the funnel located in the gills through the funnel organ, which is a tube, the narrowed end of which is brought out. Thanks to this “jet engine,” the octopus moves backwards. Thanks to him, at the moment of fright, the octopus throws ink from the ink sac of these individuals towards the enemy, a kind of curtain.
One more feature
Giant octopuses have another distinctive feature - supraocular folds. These are 3-4 outgrowths, one of which is shaped like an ear. The octopus's mouth is located in the center of the ring formed by the upper ends of the legs; the mouth has a beak, very reminiscent of the inverted beak of a parrot, because the lower jaw extends beyond the upper. The age of an individual can be determined by its beak. In old octopuses it is dark brown in color, while in young octopuses it is transparent. With this hard tool, the cephalopod easily breaks through the shells of crabs and shells of mollusks. Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood. One heart of the underwater “aristocrat” circulates blood throughout the body, the other two push it through the gills, thanks to which the octopus breathes. But he can go without water for a decent amount of time.
"Hands"
Giant octopuses (photo attached) look like this: they have a small soft body compared to the length of the tentacles (there are only eight of them, hence the name of the mollusk), the “arms” are connected to each other by short membranes, which are very elastic and can stretch to a transparent color. This allows the “arms” to be very mobile. Each tentacle has suckers arranged in two rows, ranging from 250 to 300 pieces each. One suction cup can support a weight of 100 grams.
Other zoological details
Some species of giant octopuses are not harmless. And it’s not because of the scary pictures of malacologist (a scientist who studies mollusks and soft-bodied animals) Denis de Montfort. Blue-ringed octopuses with unusually toxic venom are found on the western Pacific coast.
It can be added to the description that on the tongue of these cephalopods there is a radula, or horny grater, consisting of seven rows of transverse teeth, the largest of which are located in the central row. But this is not an exhaustive description. It should be noted the extraordinary intelligence of these animals, which is equal to the intelligence of cats and dogs. The octopus also has skin whose cells are filled with multi-colored pigments, thanks to which the animal can change its color in just one second.
Actual sizes
The smallest octopus is no more than 4 centimeters long. Officially measured and listed in the Guinness Book as the largest mollusk of this species, the octopus had a tentacle length of 3.5 meters and weighed 58 kilograms. There are legends that a specimen weighing up to 272 kilograms with tentacles whose length reached 9.5 meters was once caught. These legends of the sea are passed down from generation to generation, but there are no clearly stated scientific facts to support these stories.
Everyday life of the octopus Doflein
There really is a giant octopus, whose name in Latin looks like this - Octopus Dofleini (Doflein's octopus). This species is the most studied. It lives off the coast of Japan and Primorye, on the American side - from Bristol Bay in the north to California in the south. These octopuses are unusually homely. During the day they do not leave the den, which is usually located at shallow depths. Favorite habitat is rocky soil, located at least 300 meters, and all kinds of shelters. Old octopuses stay at home, and young ones make seasonal (spring and autumn) migrations. They either walk along the bottom with the help of tentacles, or swim, moving 4 km per day.
Family prolongation
Octopus Dofleini become sexually mature at 3-4 years of age. However, offspring can only be given at 5 years of age. At this point, the right tentacle of the third pair of the male is modified and turns into a hectocotylus. At the same time, 8-10 spermatophores appear in the male’s sac, each of which reaches a meter. During copulation, which occurs at a depth of 20 to 100 meters, the male fertilizes the female, transferring 1-2 spermatophores into her mantle cavity using a hectocotylus. And at this moment, it is better for curious scuba divers and divers to stay away.
The female hangs slimy strings containing rice-like octopus eggs from the ceiling of her lair. After 160 days or more, the larva appears. The female protects the offspring (sometimes up to 50 thousand eggs are laid) until the moment of her death, since after copulation both male and female octopuses die. First, the larvae (4 mm in size) rise to the surface and live there for 1-2 months, after which small (50 mm) octopuses sink to the bottom and, becoming benthophans (animals that feed on bottom organisms), quickly gain weight. Of course, young octopuses have many enemies - sea otters, sea lions, seals and other sea animals. But the main enemy, of course, is man. Because of it, the number of giant octopuses is sharply declining.
Krakens
The giant octopus krakens, known to everyone from the stories of Icelandic sailors, are more fictional than real creatures. The inhabitants of the “ice country”, who gave them this name, passed on the legends orally.
“Eyewitness accounts” of sea animals, which, due to their gigantic size, were mistaken for islands by sailors and fishermen, accumulated so much that Eric Ponntopidan (1698-1774), who was the Bishop of Bergen and an amateur naturalist, compiled a detailed summary of this peculiar sea folklore But the zoologist Pierre-Denis de Montfort, in love with everything fantastic, already mentioned above, described the mythical monster in a study published in 1802 and even classified it, giving it the name Kraken octopus. Scientists treated this ironically, and in the republished study the kraken was no longer mentioned.
Not cannibals at all
Giant cannibal octopuses are also rather mythical creatures. There is a video of such a cannibal attacking a scuba diver who was filming the incident. I wonder how long the operator teased the aggressor before this? And if an octopus wraps its tentacles around a camera, this does not mean at all that it is a cannibal. Most likely, in this particular case it will be eaten. And the blue-ringed mollusks mentioned above, whose poison is unusually poisonous, if they attack a person, it will only be in response, and not to eat him.
All octopuses are cautious and timid, and the sizes of the “killers” were given above. There are no cases officially confirming unmotivated aggression on the part of cephalopods. Giant octopuses remain in the legends of sailors around the world. The attack on people, if they do not poke the octopus with a stick, also comes from there. Octopuses love shelters - grottoes and caves, the holds of sunken ships. Even out of the blue, the cephalopod digs in. He can only attack by defending himself. Therefore, in those places where octopuses are found, you need to be careful when approaching any shelter.
Wonders of nature
Sometimes the ocean threw the carcasses of sea monsters from its depths onto the shore. The most famous monster is one found on the shore on November 30, 1896 in the eastern part of the Florida peninsula. It was a gigantic creature with limbs up to 11 meters. The monster was photographed and some of its parts were preserved in alcohol, which made it possible to conduct research in 1957, 1971, and 1995. It was not possible to obtain specific data. But most scientists agree that the sea demon washed ashore on the Florida peninsula is most likely a giant octopus or squid. However, the literature says a lot about “real” encounters with sea monsters. There are websites with a special focus on the Internet for lovers of cannibalistic animals.
Characteristics of the species
Octopuses are one of the most famous representatives order of cephalopods, and are widespread in the North Pacific Ocean. The appearance of octopuses is quite unusual. The mollusk has a short, soft body with eight long tentacles growing from it. The tentacles are connected to each other by thin elastic membranes, and contain one or several rows of suction cups, the number of which can reach 2 thousand. Each suction cup can withstand up to 100 g of weight, therefore there is a direct relationship between their number and the mass of the octopus: the heavier the mollusk, the more he has suckers.
Interesting feature species is the presence of three hearts, one of which pumps blue blood throughout the body, and the other two transport it through the gills. However, despite the presence of gills, the octopus can remain without water for a long time without losing its vital functions. In addition, mollusks are very smart, which allows them to be placed on a par with cats in terms of development.
Suffice it to recall Paul the octopus, who accurately predicted football matches. By the way, the grateful Germans even erected a monument to him, inside which they placed the ashes of the sea soothsayer. Octopuses can also change the color of their body at lightning speed, which is due to the presence of color pigment located in the cells of their skin.
Giant clam
In total, there are about three hundred species of octopuses in the world, the largest and heaviest of which is the giant cephalopod Dofleini (lat. Octopus Dofleini). It is named after the German zoologist who first discovered and described this species. The size of the giant is truly amazing: the length of the largest adult specimen caught in the entire history of observations was about 9.6 m, and the weight was 272 kg. The giant immediately entered the Guinness Book of Records, although it is worth noting that such large representatives of the species are quite rare, and generally the length of the mollusks fluctuates around 3-3.5 m, and their weight reaches 40-60 kg. Such a monster grows from a very small larva, 4 mm in diameter.
The mollusk tolerates low temperatures well and feels better in them than in warm water. The optimal temperature for normal activity of the mollusk is considered to be from 5 to 12 degrees. Giant octopuses do not like the great depths of the Pacific Ocean and prefer to live in shallow water or near underwater rocks, crevices and caves. Thanks to this, Doflein is very often encountered by scuba divers who catch the unfortunate animal and eat it.
Morphological characteristics
Doflein's appearance is quite unusual. Mollusks have skin growths above their eyes that vaguely resemble horns, for which in some sources they are called eared. At the bottom of the octopus's head there is a tube called the rostrum, which is used to move the mollusk in the water.
The process of moving Doflein in space is as follows: the octopus pumps water into the mantle, and through rapid muscle contraction, blows the stream out with force. As a result, the effect occurs jet engine, and the mollusk begins to move. By the way, octopuses swim backwards, leaving the tentacles behind the body. If danger is detected, the mollusk releases a portion of ink through the rostrum, which acts as a smoke screen and allows the octopus to retreat if necessary.
Doflein's mouth contains an unusual dark brown beak, and its tongue is equipped with a horny grater. The grater, in turn, has a large number of transverse rows with small teeth, seven in each. The sharpest and largest is the central row. It is with this that the giant octopus bites through the shells of crabs and snail shells. The color of a large octopus changes depending on external conditions, and the spectrum can vary from white to dark purple. In summer and autumn period the animal migrates, and before spawning it goes to shallow depths and lives there in a large company of its own kind.
Reproduction
During spawning, due to the enormous size of the mollusks, their distribution area is quite large, sometimes covering an area of several hundred square meters. Adults usually reach sexual maturity by the age of four, however, they can produce their first offspring only at five years. It is then that one of the male’s tentacles undergoes a change and turns into a hectocotylus.
During the same period, the male produces from 8 to 10 spermatophores, with which he fertilizes the female. The fertilization process occurs at a depth of 20-100 m by introducing one or two spermatophores into the mantle cavity of the female. At the end of spawning, individuals leave their settlements and scatter throughout the nearby space in search of a place. There they set up their lair and prepare for the birth of their offspring.
Some time after fertilization, numerous eggs appear, the number of which can reach 50 thousand. They are suspended by the female by means of slimy ropes to the upper inner part of the den, after which larvae appear in them. Usually this period takes 160 days, however, in especially large individuals it can last slightly longer.
After the larvae grow to 4 mm, they rise up and live on the surface of the water for 1-2 months. Then they descend to the bottom, begin to feed on bottom organisms, quickly gain weight and become real octopuses. During this period of life, mollusks suffer from attacks from sea otters, sea lions, seals and other marine animals, however, their main enemy is man. The female and the male die after the eggs appear, and the death of the male occurs immediately after fertilization, and the female dies a little later, and protects the future offspring to the last.
Features of behavior
Giant octopuses, like their small counterparts, are not at all aggressive. Nevertheless, it is still possible to anger a mollusk. To do this, it is enough to try to pull it out of the lair or grab it tightly by the tentacles. Of course, attacks on people do happen from time to time, however, no deaths were recorded from them.
In general, large mollusks are quite shy and, if they accidentally meet a diver, they try to hide in their lair or swim to a safe distance, but during the mating season they can bite. When in danger, the giant changes its color to a darker one, takes on scary poses, raises its tentacles threateningly and immediately throws out its waste products - ink.
The most unusual discovery was a huge sea monster found on the Florida Peninsula, whose tentacles reached 11 meters in length. This happened in November 1896, so no in-depth scientific research was carried out. Fortunately for our modern science, scientists of that time figured out to photograph, sketch and alcoholize some parts of the monster, thanks to which laboratory studies were carried out in 1957, 1971 and 1995 using modern equipment and radiocarbon dating. As a result, many prominent experts unanimously agreed that the remains belonged to a giant octopus, washed up on the Florida coast by a storm a hundred years ago.
Half a century after the grand discovery, off the coast North America a specimen measuring 8 meters in size and weighing just over 180 kg was caught. And at about the same time, a three-meter octopus was caught off the Tasmanian coast, in whose stomach they found the remains of the clothes of a crayfish catcher who had disappeared the day before. However, it is not known for certain whether the animal was responsible for the death of the person or whether the flap got into his stomach by accident.
An interesting fact is that there are mollusks called large Pacific striped octopuses, although their dimensions are rarely larger than a tennis ball. For example, a female large octopus measures 4-7 cm, and a male rarely grows to 10 cm. Therefore, when searching for information about really large mollusks, it is necessary to take this fact into account and not confuse the two species.
IN Lately large octopuses weighing 50 kilograms or more have become extremely rare. Perhaps this is due to an increase in commercial production of octopuses, which is why the animals are forced to look for a more reliable shelter, or due to large-scale pollution of ocean waters, which causes extinction of species.
The reason may also lie in the fact that due to the intensification of fishing, mollusks do not have time to reach sexual maturity and are caught at a very young age. As a result, the instincts for preserving the population are activated, and childbearing age begins much earlier, during the period when the octopus has not yet reached its maximum sizes. A small parental individual produces equally small offspring, which over time leads to a smaller population.
Whatever the reason, the huge giants are gradually becoming a thing of the past, remaining only the subject of stories of experienced sailors and carrying the secret of their existence into the depths of the sea.
Amazing facts about octopuses, see the next video.
People have long considered the giant octopus a dangerous sea monster. In fact, this is an intelligent, resourceful, amazing and completely harmless animal.
Type - ShellfishClass - Cephalopods
Genus/Species - Octopus dofleini
Basic data:
DIMENSIONS
Arm span: up to 9 m.
Weight: up to 70 kg; observations have shown that the deeper an octopus lives, the larger it is.
REPRODUCTION
Puberty: about 1 year; adult females are larger than males.
Number of eggs: up to 100,000.
Incubation period: 160 days.
LIFESTYLE
Habits: singles.
Food: mollusks, crustaceans, sometimes fish.
Lifespan: up to 6 years old.
RELATED SPECIES
The giant octopus is a relative garden snail, since both animals belong to the class of mollusks. Its closest relatives are other octopuses and squids.
Octopuses are very unusual creatures. These mobile and extremely smart mollusks, having good developed organs senses, perfectly adapted to existence in the marine environment. Although they are classified as protozoa, biologists consider them to be true invertebrates. REPRODUCTION
The giant octopus becomes sexually mature at the age of 3, and sometimes even 5-6 years. It is easy to distinguish a sexually mature male from a female - he has modified right hand the third pair, which turns into a hectocotylus. During mating (at a depth of 30-100 m), the male transfers 1 or 2 spermatophores into the female’s mantle cavity with the help of a hectocotylus and places them in her oviducts. The female lays eggs 40 days after mating. Octopus eggs are small and similar to grains of rice. The eggs are placed in mucus cords, which the female hangs from the ceiling of her “house”. Throughout the entire period of incubation of the eggs, the female protects them and provides an influx of fresh water. She does not eat anything, weakens so much that, having given birth to a new generation, she dies. After mating the male does not feed and also dies. After 160 days (sometimes more), larvae 3-4 mm long emerge from the eggs, which rise to the surface, where they remain for the first two months, and having reached 5 cm in height, sink to the bottom.
SELF-DEFENSE
The greatest danger to octopuses are sharks, seals and individuals of their own species that are larger than them. The best protection What keeps enemies away is speed and agility - it is these features that allow the animal to hide in a safe shelter in time. Octopuses successfully hide from their pursuers behind a dark cloud of ink, which, if necessary, is released from the ink sac. The giant octopus can change color, becoming the same color as environment. Having lost one or more arms in a fight with an enemy, the octopus does not die - it grows new limbs.LIFESTYLE
Giant octopus most spends the day in a shelter located in a rock gorge or other secluded place at the bottom of the sea, and goes out to hunt only at night. A permanent octopus burrow can be found by the “garbage heap” that is located near it, food remains - shells, shells and other parts of the body of eaten prey. Octopuses feed on marine crustaceans, various types bivalves and snails. Thanks to the repulsive force of water, an octopus can walk along the bottom “on its fingertips,” relying only on the ends of its arms. This mollusk moves very elegantly in the water column, using underwater currents and its own motor - a funnel. average speed The speed of a giant octopus is 4 km/h. If necessary, he can move faster. With the help of suction cups on the hands, the octopus is held on rocks and rocky outcrops.
FOOD
The giant octopus eats absolutely everything that it can catch and swallow. There are many legends about the bloodthirstiness of the octopus, although in fact it feeds mainly on crabs and bivalves, as well as sea cucumbers, fish, shrimp and small octopuses. When hunting, the octopus is guided mainly by vision. Having noticed the desired prey nearby, the octopus extends most of its arms towards it and grabs the victim. Along the perimeter of each suction disk there are receptor cells that determine the edibility of a particular item. The octopus can kill prey with the help of poison, which is secreted by the salivary glands, but usually it also has powerful suckers for this. The giant octopus splits the shells of bivalve mollusks with its strong beak, which is very similar to the beak of a parrot. The octopus digests meat and soft fabrics prey, and throws away those parts that it cannot digest.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...
- The giant octopus is also called Doflein's octopus. The weight of the record-breaking octopus of this species reached 270 kg, and its arm span was about 9.6 m.
- The giant octopus is a common resident of the coastal zone. It rarely goes deeper than 100-300 meters. This octopus is nocturnal. During the day, he usually hides in all kinds of shelters.
- Blood throughout the octopus's body is pumped by three not very hardy hearts, so the cephalopod quickly gets tired and cannot withstand a long fight.
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF THE GIANT OCTOPUS
Suckers: the octopus uses them to tear apart prey and with their help attaches itself to rocks. Sensitive receptors on the suction cups transmit information about objects that the octopus touches.Funnel or siphon: water enters it, from which the octopus extracts oxygen for breathing. The water is then forcefully pushed out of the mantle cavity, causing the mollusk to move quickly.
Beak: With its strong horny beak, the octopus bites through the shells of crustaceans.
Hands: the octopus has eight long arms with powerful muscles - which serve to capture food.
PLACES OF ACCOMMODATION
The giant octopus lives in the North Pacific Ocean, from Alaska and Sea of Japan to California in the south.
PRESERVATION
Marine pollution does not pose a danger to the octopus. Unlike its hunted relatives, it does not need to fear humans.
Often the main goal of divers is to encounter something large underwater. Moreover, the more “large” it is, the better. In the tropics, stingrays and sharks become such attractions. But there are other interesting sea animals. For example, an inhabitant of the Sea of Japan is the Doflein octopus. Divers can calmly watch this most interesting animal for up to half an hour, if they know the places, of course.
You can meet this octopus while diving near rock dumps. This is where this owner of the local lands lives. Given its size and level of intelligence, it is difficult to believe that it is a close relative of the scallop or snail. It is in these territories that his home is located; he patrols them in search of food and communication.
The most interesting thing about such meetings is the opportunity for meaningful communication. The octopus also perceives humans as an equal, as an object for study, and it shows a definite interest in divers. You can pet the octopus, and it will also be happy to touch you. You can take a photo as a souvenir, you can dig up a shell and give it to him, thereby earning noticeable gratitude.
There are several dozen species of octopuses in the world. Among them, the Doflein octopus is the stockiest. It is also called the giant Pacific octopus with a size of about a meter and a weight of about 20 kg. There are also individuals as long as a man and weighing more than 40 kg. And the record holders reached a length of 4-5 meters in length, and a weight of more than 150 kg.
Like all cephalopods, the front part of the octopus is an oblong-shaped head with an internal cavity - a bag-like mantle, in which the internal organs. The back part is represented by 8 muscular tentacles, which simultaneously serve as arms and legs.
Eight tentacle-legs are connected to each other by a thin membrane. On each bottom there are 200 suction cups arranged in two rows. At the same time, the “combat” suckers, the largest, are located closer to the center, and towards the ends of the tentacles the suckers become much smaller.
Most often, the octopus sits at home during the day, where it can be found more easily than on a walk. The house is a hole under a stone. First, the octopus selects the desired stone from the dump, then selects the soil from underneath it, and settles into the hole. Such a dwelling is easy to spot among the mountains of waste. The owner digs up the shells, drags them home and throws out the shells next to the hole after eating them.
When the octopus is calm, it sits in the hole slightly leaning out and looks at the world. During sleep, the octopus does not close its eyes, it only strongly constricts its pupils. If he senses danger, he immediately hides deeper in a hole. If the diver behaves correctly, the octopus shows active interest and studies the guest. Moreover, he first examines and then feels.
The octopus examines all objects by careful palpation. Inner surface Octopus tentacles, and especially suckers, are covered with thousands of special sensitive cells. This is how he recognizes the edibility of an object and its taste.
The octopus will attach the suction cup better and faster to a flat and hard surface. For example, he is more willing to suck on his bare hand than on a neoprene diving glove.
When two octopuses meet, they begin to pull each other's tentacles and measure their strength, in the style of arm wrestling. If you don’t make sudden movements, then I’ll let the octopus cling to you, you’ll practically force the octopus to come out on its own, to see who’s pulling it so persistently, but delicately.
Outside the burrow, the octopus can either walk on hard ground by moving its tentacles. Or swim in the water using your jet engine
The mantle gives the octopus a convenient means of jet propulsion. To operate, the octopus sucks water into a gap under the mantle at the head. Then he pushes it through a special nozzle due to which it is created jet propulsion and develops a speed of 5-10 km/h.
Moreover, this nozzle is controlled and can be rotated in any direction. This is why the octopus is so maneuverable and nimble. The same jet stream is used to wash away sand from under stones when building a hole. Even for military purposes - he practically “spits” a stream of water from the hole, not being in the mood.
In case of danger or unpleasant attention, the octopus releases a stream of black liquid, creating a false target under which it hides. Young octopuses especially love this method.
Its mouth is located in the center between the tentacles. The suction cups themselves can hardly do any harm. But the octopus’s jaws are very strong and can even cause a small wound. The octopus's mouth is often called a beak because the two jaws resemble the backbite of a parrot. You can even stick your bare hand right into the center, after a while the octopus can scrape the skin and begin to rub it with its tongue-grater.
It is this oral mechanism that is the largest solid part of the octopus, so the mollusk can easily fit into a hole that is on average 12 times smaller than its size, the only condition is that the head just fits through.
The octopus is perfectly adapted to camouflage. Its chromatophores can change color in the body almost instantly (about 1 second).
An octopus can get rid of annoying visitors in different ways. The main pattern of behavior consists of an attempt to camouflage and not only blend in color, but also to imitate the topography of the environment. Its skin is quite soft, but rough and lumpy. There is an octopus in this photo too, you just need to find it.
Each octopus is unique in its own way, with its own character and mood. In addition, these animals have excellent memory. They distinguish and remember divers. And if the diver behaves correctly, then when they meet, the octopus itself will come out of its hole, feel the guest, demonstrating the joy of the meeting.
The mysterious world of the ocean hides many secrets, one of which is its giant inhabitants. Several centuries ago, the stories of experienced sailors about the incredible size of krakens aroused special awe. But if the kraken is still a mythical monster, then the article will talk about very real cephalopods, whose size and weight make the human race shudder even today!
Meet the most big octopus According to the Guinness Book of Records, it was a cephalopod named after the German zoologist Doflein; its length was 9.6 m and its body weight was 272 kg. It's hard to believe, but such a monster grows from a larva measuring only 3-4 mm. Doflein's octopuses are also called sea devils for their horn-shaped growths located above their eyes. According to, for the same growths they are called eared.
Gigantomania
As befits all monsters, octopuses hide at great depths, among stones and algae. Nevertheless, scientists managed to introduce the world to another giant. A relative of the 9-meter octopus, which took 1st place in the ranking of the largest octopuses, was recorded in the 40s. XX century. Its weight is 180 kg, and its body length is 8 m. In scientific circles, these octopuses are recognized as both the largest and the most studied, since they are not deep-sea, like many of their relatives.
Doflein's octopuses are lovers of cool waters. Optimal temperature for them - +12 C. These mollusks prefer night hunting for fish, crustaceans and similar cephalopods. The doflein's skin is slightly wrinkled. Octopuses make it this way specifically to blend into the topography of a coral reef or rock.
In the Pacific
A Pacific octopus was found dead off the coast of New Zealand, which did not stop it from entering the ranking of the very best. Its body length is 4 m, and its weight is 75 kg. His predecessor was much more fortunate; he managed not only to survive, but also to get into the Guinness Book of Records. It also turned out to be a Pacific cephalopod weighing 58 kg and tentacles 3.5 m long.
Pacific octopuses are quite nimble. Thus, a 12-kilogram octopus managed to escape from one aquarium. Having no skeleton, octopuses can easily seep into small holes. Another feature of cephalopods is that they can easily survive without water for several hours.
Unfortunately, nature has arranged it this way that representatives of any species that reach enormous sizes live a short life. The life of an octopus is already short: about 4 years. For giants, this age is reduced to 2 years. Scientists suggest that in the future large individuals will begin to disappear from the planet, because, from the point of view of evolution, size is not the main thing!
Angel of Death
The Apollyon octopus was named after the angel of the abyss and death. The mollusk received its far from harmless name for its ability to kill a victim with a stream of poison and suck out its flesh. He hunts mainly for crabs. If an apollyon bites a person, the symptoms will be the same as those of a snake bite, but they are not fatal. The swelling from the bite goes away in 2-3 weeks.
It is known for certain that octopuses do not attack people; rather, they avoid meeting them. In most cases, all bites are self-defense.
According to the author of the book “Primates of the Sea” I. Akimushkin, at the end of the 19th century. A representative of the glorious genus of Apollyons was found measuring 5 m and with a tentacle span of 8.5 m. Moreover, the “angels of death” weigh very little, and the size of their bodies reaches no more than 30 cm. Apollyon lives off the coast of Alaska, California and Canada.
Yanagi-dako
One of the giant octopuses is considered to be the true Japanese “Yanagi-dako”, or willow octopus, which lives off the coast of the island. Hokkaido. Its length reaches 3 m. The Japanese consider it a delicacy, especially since intensive fishing has reduced its population, and octopuses have come to the court, or rather to the Japanese table, at just the right time.
Octopuses are amazing animals. Cephalopods certainly cannot be called heartless. They have as many as 3 hearts. They have blue blood in their veins and are very smart. Remember the most famous octopus-predictor Paul (he belonged to the common octopuses), who very accurately predicted the outcome of football matches. In honor of Paul, a monument was even unveiled in the form soccer ball. The Germans were so reverent about their oracle that they preserved its ashes and placed them inside the monument.
You can also see octopuses in captivity; for example, a giant Pacific octopus lives in the Exotarium of the Moscow Zoo.
In fact, there are more than 300 species of octopuses, with bizarre shapes and colors. In our rating, we identified the largest octopuses.
- Doflein's octopus - 9.6 m, weight 272 kg.
- Doflein's octopus - 8 m, weight 180 kg.
- Apollyon – 5 m ( exact weight not specified. The octopus is inferior in weight to all species mentioned in the rating).
- Pacific octopus – 4 m, weight 75 kg
- Pacific octopus - 3.5 m, weight 58 kg.
- Willow octopus – 3 m (weight not specified).
Perhaps the world will yet know more than one fact from the life of sea giants, which, giving a head start to man, will unexpectedly emerge from the depths of the sea.
